We Spied the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS-class at, of All Places, the Nürburgring

The German ’Burban gets its first major overhaul.

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What It Is: The full-size Mercedes-Benz GLS-class SUV spied testing at the Nürburgring. While we don’t expect many owners to wring out their seven-seat sport-utes on that storied circuit—or any circuit, for that matter—it does provide engineers with a reasonably consistent canvas on which to chart developmental progress.

Why It Matters: The GLS has picked up sales steam in the last few years, thanks in large part to the rising popularity of luxury SUVs of all stripes. Buyers may also have discovered the same mix of attributes that landed the GLS on our 2017 10Best Trucks and SUVs list. Sure, the cachet of the three-pointed star alone is enough to sell some to aspirational types, but the GLS delivers in all the key elements that make full-size SUVs so attractive: a comfortable and quiet ride, generous seating and cargo space, luxurious interior materials, and substantial towing capability. The GLS will soon see an additional competitor in the form of the new BMW X7. We expect there again will be a Mercedes-AMG variant as well, and there are persistent rumors that Mercedes-Benz also will give the GLS the Mercedes-Maybach treatment so it can face off against top-shelf luxury SUV offerings from Range Rover and Bentley as well as the upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Platform: Look for the new GLS to be built on the automaker’s new Modular High Architecture (MHA) platform. Said to offer weight savings and improve packaging, it should allow engineers to carve out more interior room from the same footprint. The camo-clad example captured here hints at a more bulbous body with softer corners, although the front fenders are more pronounced.

Powertrain: While Mercedes has numerous gasoline and diesel engines in its portfolio, it’s likely that its new gas-fired M256 inline six-cylinder engines will form the core of the powertrain strategy in the United States. The turbocharged inline-six found in the new 2019 CLS450 makes 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, while the more powerful straight-six found in the CLS53 adds an electric supercharger, helping it churn out 429 horsepower and 384 lb-ft. Both variants utilize a 48-volt electrical system and a motor/generator for improved low-end torque. And the AMG variant, which is likely to retain the GLS63 nomenclature, will be inevitably powered by its ubiquitous twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 making nearly 600 horsepower.

Estimated Arrival and Price: We expect the next GLS to arrive in 2019 as a 2020 model. Pricing will likely see a small bump from its current starting point of $70,545, with the AMG and Maybach editions pushing the top end well into six figures.